


/Nomin/ Hermit Crabs

by CLv_Minus36



Category: NCT, NCT Dream
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Hand Jobs, M/M, Plot Twists, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27577865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CLv_Minus36/pseuds/CLv_Minus36
Summary: Most of the time Jaemin treated him like an individual that deserved equal rights. Maybe that was what he wanted from Jeno. A sacred effort to break the cognitive and emotional barrier between human and machines.Little did Jeno the android know, there was the exact opposite of Jaemin's higher plan. A story between Jeno and his "trusty home-based AI scientist" Jaemin. But, not an ordinary one.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 8
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [【竹马】寄居蟹](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27544477) by [ConfidenceLevel_Minus36](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConfidenceLevel_Minus36/pseuds/ConfidenceLevel_Minus36). 



> Hey first English fic here. A translation of my own work. This is not beta-ed, nor English my native tongue. So any constructive opinion on the wording would be much appreciated! I am still learning so even the published bits are subject to changes (wording only, the plot is set). I am not a fan of tagging everything so I think these ones are good to go for now. Hope you enjoy.

_**System log** _

_**hello, world** _

"Name."

"Na Jaemin."

"Occupation."

“Your trusty home-based AI scientist."

"Seriously."

“Why so serious? This isn’t an interview. Can you at least try smiling a bit, Jeno?” Jaemin propped his pouting face against his elbows. Across the table, a deadpan Jeno watched his movements.

“How does one smile?” Jeno asked. He struggled with squeezing his facial muscles and only ended up with some weird expressions.

“If you were aiming to cry, you could’ve got it with that face.” Jaemin commented. His words hopped Jeno straight into his next mission albeit one fruitless attempt, “How does one cry then?”

Jaemin laughed. He patted Jeno on the shoulder and secretly decided he might just cherish Jeno’s poker face for now. Lee Jeno, a 15-minute old android, replied with a silent confusion by tilting his head. Not that he actually felt _confused_ , but these small movements were designed to mimic subconscious, human-like activities. Jeno _looked_ like a human-being, and that was it.

  
For now.

  
“Your chance will come.” Jaemin said softly.

  
“Why me then? How is it that I am _me_? Why did you design me _this way_?”

  
Jaemin didn’t know existential crisis can be a thing for a heartless android, which held him back for a second. Jaemin looked down at his hands while looking for a decent answer — Jeno’s eyes followed — some small, unnatural movements spasmed through his fingers, at which Jaemin frowned.

“Cuz you are my type.” Jaemin replied.

Jeno, again with Jaemin’s favourite poker face, nodded as if he understood.


	2. Chapter 2

_**System log** _

_**./nociception.exe** _

By “your chance will come”, Jaemin meant the weekly system updates plus some add-on sessions. A typical “session” begins with Jeno quietly standing in Jaemin’s bedroom. It was always in the bedroom for what Jaemin declares as the necessary sense of privacy. Yet he never drew the curtains, although neither of them feared to be seen. Examining Jeno’s physique under the moonlight was just part of Jaemin’s aesthetics.

Jeno was always naked during the session for close-up examinations. Luckily He was not yet equipped with the function of shame, so occasions like this only gave him the illusion that Jaemin was God and he was Adam. He naturally registered himself as Jaemin’s one-and-only and favourite piece of creation.

The sessions usually began with tests for Jeno’s motor functions. Jeno was instructed to hold some tricky yoga movements until he could not persist any longer. Meanwhile, Jaemin would write down the measurements for flexibility and strength in his notes.

Jeno’s function of emotions was still not available. Muscle stretches or even cramps were not exactly unpleasant, so Jeno would never stop until Jaemin told him to. This was why Jaemin found him once on the floor, having fallen hard and unexpectedly with a broken tendon, but still with a deadpan face.

Jaemin, on the other hand, was visibly worried as if he were the one injured. It took him two weeks to fix the tendon, during which Jeno could only move by hopping on his other leg. Jaemin could barely hold back his laughter for seeing Jeno jumping like a rabbit jumping who lost one luck foot, but he still complained that Jeno should have been careful.

“Jeno’s body means a lot to me. I cherish it and so should you. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.” Jaemin warned, as he carefully sewed the replacement into Jeno’s injured ankle.

Now that the physics of Jeno was out of the way, Jaemin had to catch up with his aesthetics. Should Jeno have preferences, he would prefer the sessions this way: Jaemin staying close, an exquisite monocle sitting on his face. With his careful eyes and gentle touches, he examined every minute detail such as the texture of Jeno’s muscle or the direction of his veins running beneath the smooth skin.

“Na Jaemin.”

“Jaemin, call me Jaemin.” Jaemin corrected him, not wasting any moment moving his eyes away from Jeno’s trapezius. He then traced his finger down Jeno’s spine, to make sure the latissimus dorsi on each side was symmetrical. It almost looked like a hug when he spread his hands around Jeno’s waist. Jaemin quickly retracted his hands at the thought.

“Jaemin.”

“Jaemin.”

“Jaemin.”

Jeno would never move without Jaemin’s permission and Jaemin granted him so by tabbing on his shoulder.

“Yes, yes, Jeno, what’s going on?”

“We, I, have a problem. Here—”

As Jeno turned around, Jaemin immediately understood where the problem _stood_ : right between Jeno’s beautiful thighs, his erection peeking. The system helpfully added that Jeno’s breathing became deeper, his pupils dilated.

“Hmm, are you sensitive there? Or just the parasympathetic activities running high?” Jaemin blushed and turned to fumble with the parameters.

It seemed to Jeno that Jaemin dared not look at his erection, let alone Jeno’s eyes. He asked, “Why don’t you look at me? You always look at me when you speak.”

“For now I will raise the threshold potential for your PNS, that should resolve your—” Jaemin did not answer. He mumbled some technical terms, eyes dodging Jeno’s, fingers trembling when typing out commands on the system display.

“If it were Jaemin, what would you do? If I were a human, what should I do? How do humans deal with desires?” Jeno blurted out a series of questions since Jaemin dodged one. His line of vision was burning hot as if it was burning a hole through Jaemin's face. The latter forced himself to continue, “I shall also speed up your lo-local blood flow. Down there.”

“Jaemin.”

”Jaemin, please look at me.”

“Why is Jaemin blushing?”

No social manner was Jeno's manner. His curiosity for humanity quickly became a pain in the ass. Defeated, Jaemin left out a sigh, “You really want to know?”

“Yes.” Jeno kept his straight face. Stubborn, Jaemin mentally commented, or was he _actually_ capable of being sincerely curious and innocent. Jaemin dragged out a desperate breath and finally laid his hand on Jeno’s dick.

“Men touch themselves.” Jaemin explained, still gazing around. His throat too dry, but hands sweaty. “But unless two people are close or in somewhat a mutual consent, we don’t normally help each other out.” He added.

“Jamin likes me. You said I am your type. Does that mean we are close?” Jeno asked.

“I said a _mutual_ consent. Human relationships run both ways. Do you like me? Do you even know what ‘like’ is?” Jaemin blurted out. Jeno replied that being Jaemin’s Adam, he should like Jaemin by default. Jeno thought he would be proud of himself for the analogy if he was capable of doing so. But Jaemin chuckled.

“I might be smart but I am nothing close to being omniscient or omnipotent. And I am not even kind. I am no god, Jeno, if not something worse.” Jaemin tightened his grip as he spoke and began to speed up, skilfully twisting his wrist when he reached the tip of Jeno’s erection.

Jeno’s breath tightened and his words died in his throat. He started to thrust up into Jaemin’s fist. Yet his face remained calm, his eyes locked on Jaemin’s face. He managed to spit out “Jaemin is a good human” between his messy breaths.

“What do _you_ know of a good human?” Jaemin lowered his voice. Pity, if Jeno read his face correctly. Before Jeno replied—he would always reply to a question, even a rhetorical one, in the way Jaemin taught him for good manners—Jaemin guided Jeno’s head towards the crook of his neck.

“You don’t have to stare. It will be over soon.”

Jeno embraced himself in Jaemin’s scent, a mixture of his shampoo and aftershave. Ejaculation hit him quickly, but there was no joy. Muscles tensing and relaxing. Blood rushing then quieting down. His body had done the job.

It was Jaemin who let out a sigh as if satisfied. Jeno could not see Jaemin’s face so he could not determine whether he was glad it’s over. He still held lots of questions, but it was late and Jaemin set his system to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor changes in the previous chapters and here it goes a new one. Comments would be much appreciated `3`

**System log**

**./pain.exe**

Jaemin cut himself when he was cooking. To be fair, the cut alone was nothing worth panicking: Jaemin seemed to hurt himself a lot over small things.

What differed today was that Jaemin didn’t realise that he was bleeding. It was Jeno who noticed, who was dumb enough to bump his small toe against the dinner table when checking up on Jaemin, and whose cry of pain startled the latter.

Funny enough it did the job.

Jaemin immediately dropped his kitchen knife for the rescue of Jeno. He almost yelled at Jeno for being careless with his body again, but Jeno shot him a glance, almost a worried one to Jaemin’s surprise.

“How can _you_ be so careless?” Jeno carefully grabbed Jaemin’s bleeding finger. He recalled Jaemin’s usual actions and sucked it into his mouth to “clean up” the wound. To say Jaemin was dumbfounded was an understatement. He let Jeno push him onto the sofa and watched his android fetch a band-aid, utterly speechless.

Jeno soon found himself kneeling between Jaemin’s legs after passing the bond-aid. When he questioned something in his mind, he would make sure he always dig up the answer. So he tugged at Jaemin’s pant leg. Small cuts and bruises, old and new, on top of each other, spread along Jaemin’s skin. Enough, or actually too many to prove Jeno’s silent hypothesis.

“Have you not felt any of this?” He asked.

“Not really. I was just easily distracted recently. None of these are serious injuries anyway.” Jaemin replied with a reassuring smile. Jeno frowned at his answer, to which Jaemin cooed.

“Are you worried about me?” Jaemin patted Jeno’s head, although it was more of a gesture towards pets rather than one with affection. But this will do, Jeno thought to himself.

Jeno was rather satisfied for saving Jaemin’s dear life so he decided to expand this mission to Jaemin’s social life as well. He had noticed: Jaemin barely left the house nor he invited anyone over. Jeno had yet met another human alive. All he knew about Jaemin outside this house was from Jaemin’s old work access. It was from a famous AI enterprise, not to mention Jaemin’s title as a group leader. He knew Jaemin was smart and keen for his projects so it only added to the confusion that Jaemin was stuck with him. Not that Jeno could or had the right or was willing to complain, though.

Tugged away with the access was a card filled with words from Jaemin’s colleagues. They wished Jaemin for a peaceful mind, for his recovery and hopefully, for his return in the future if he could. Jaemin seemed reliable and popular at work, yet no matter what had happened no one has wished for his happiness. _Was he not happy, at home not being able to work, or just because he had to stay with me?_ Jeno thought. They were living the future, although Jaemin never returned to work. But instead of those words, he asked, “Jaemin, why do you always do your experiments at home? Why don’t you go to work?”

“So you really have been worried about me.”Jaemin watched Jeno’s face change with his rushing thoughts. He shrugged and simply said that it was a long holiday and he needed the rest, despite the fact that he was rather restless with Jeno’s project.

“You do very much look and behave like a human now.” Jaemin concluded and he seemed proud.


	4. Chapter 4

_**System log** _

_**./TKGE.exe** _

Jeno had been increasingly more independent of Jaemin’s commands, although he still asked for suggestions and permissions, if necessary. He considered himself becoming more and more sociable, despite Jaemin being the only human he ever interacted with. 

During Jaemin's bedtime, he would stay in the storing chamber in Jaemin's home-based laboratory. Not that he actually needed to sleep, at least in human sense, but some time alone became more enjoyable nowadays. 

Jaemin had definitely kept up with Jeno's progress with the weekly updates. Jeno wouldn’t _exactly_ say he had acquired emotions, but sometimes things creeped up on him, especially on the rainy nights. Jeno was not afraid of the thunders, but without his system put to sleep, there was no mental escape from the annoying humidity or the roars from the sky. 

There were no errors reported in the system, but the uneasiness was real. Jeno had no choice but to bother Jaemin. At least he remembered to knock on the door.

Jaemin apparently just came out from the shower. Soft hair still dripping, skin warmer than usual. He seemed to have responded a little too quick. His robe was only half tied, doing a mediocre job covering up his collarbone and chest. He dealt with his hair while Jeno explained his issue.

The noise of the hairdryer was slightly distracting and Jeno’s eyes inevitably started to roam around. He has been here many times, yet how could he just realised this room was distinctly Jaemin’s. Jaemin had such a sweet tooth that he kept sugar cubes on his vanity table, together with some papers he hadn’t finished reading and a couple of photography magazines. Jaemin’s camera carefully sat in a designated cupboard against the wall. He never took photos of me, nor he showed me any, Jeno silently commented.

It was at this particular moment that he was struck by the idea of what Jaemin meant for privacy, when they had those _intimate_ sessions. Jeno suddenly felt like a prey, accidentally running into the forbidden territory. His solitary predator was sitting in front of him, asking with a knowing smile.

“Is that everything you want to share?”

He knew I was distracted, Jeno swallowed as he shook his head as an answer. Jaemin didn’t seem annoyed: he used to say the ability to shift attention was part of higher cognitive function. So Jeno was _improving_.

Jaemin gestured Jeno to sit with him at the edge of the bed. Once settled, he traced the shape of a normal distribution on Jeno’s shoulder as he spoke.

“There is no right or wrong when we talk about emotions. All emotions are natural. Only are some more common to a certain scenario, and some rarer. It’s okay to feel unpleasant on a rainy day, just as acceptable as enjoying it.”

Jeno relaxed a bit. Jaemin's free hand was hugging one of his huge collection of plushies as they spoke. This was a new side of Jaemin to Jeno, not really professional nor domestic. He was _emotional_. Jaemin’s voice was low, a good complement to the sound of rain outside. But somehow the sound of the nature was muffled down as Jeno could now only focus on Jaemin.

Jeno suddenly felt a raging curiosity burning through his chest, drifting down his body. Different from his usual sense towards human in general, but about Jaemin as a distinct individuality. Him, and him only.

“Can I 'watch' you? Like how you watched me during the sessions.” He blurted out.

“What exactly do you want to see on me? I thought I already put human anatomy into your knowledge base.” Jaemin smirked. At least, it was not a denial. Even better, Jaemin decided to put on a teasing show. Jaemin's beloved plushie was discarded on the floor. Jaemin quickly got rid of that useless belt of his robe as they shifted their position. The fabric fell from Jaemin’s shoulder, his chest now fully exposed. Jeno's eyes drank in more of his skin on display. 

Jeno immediately smelled the change in the atmosphere. It was a funny role reversal of the sessions. Jaemin was completely uninhibited. He sank himself into the soft material on his bed, watching the figure above him, who wasn’t a boring, emotionless android anymore. Jeno actually felt nervous, even shy. He could feel heat slowing climbing up his neck, his cheek and his ears.

“Jaemin, please. Teach me. I want to know. How far am I from being something like a human? Why is _my_ body precious to _you_? How should I cherish it the way you want me to?” Jeno asked. He didn’t realised how desperate he was until he heard himself, voice shaking and almost cracking.

Jaemin smiled teasingly. He guided Jeno’s hand onto his own body, trailing down from his chest, his toned abs, to his hip where Jeno was straddling him. He also took that hand to cup Jeno’s hard-on and commented, “You weren’t that eager last time.”

Jeno had also noticed the awakening desire in his body, but it _felt_ different. His heart racing, head spinning and gosh, why was it so hard to look at Jaemin in his eyes this time? Jeno was already exhausted by trying not to look away. He decided to lean down and forward, greeted by Jaemin’s blown up pupils. Small panting brushing over his face. Jaemin was showcasing the textbook definition of arousal and he was no better. How close were they from a mutual agreement, like Jaemin mentioned.

“Jaemin, I _want_ you. No, I _need_ you. Does that mean I like you, the way you like me?” Jeno asked. Jaemin’s breathe hitched the instant he heard Jeno’s last question. Jaemin’s confident smirk faded. Eventually, he pushed Jeno away.

“You can stay for the night if you want. Tomorrow I will get you a guest room if you don’t like the storing chamber in the lab.” Jaemin said with an unbelievably cold tone. He was soon on his way to the bathroom, again. Soon after he disappeared behind the door, Jeno heard the shower running. Jeno had no idea why he had to have a second shower, and this time it took him so much longer.

Jeno curled himself up as much as possible during the wait. Shutting his eyes close, he tried to will away the pulsing desire between his legs yet there was no way he could calm himself down. He desperately waited in the dark, till Jaemin, done with whatever he had to do in the shower, put his system to _sleep_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A drop of hint is that TKGE means the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, aka shame.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Does android feel mechanical butterflies in the stomach?_

_**System log** _

_**./affection.exe** _

Jeno woke up to a room. Definitely not Jaemin’s. His body was now squeezed between the lifeless white ceiling and the equally lifeless white bedding. Cold and foreign.

Felt like a hibernation. He could not catch up with his own thoughts for quite a moment. Indeed, he was gone for longer than his body needed. But for whatever reason why human needed to sleep, or why bears hibernated, the same logics didn’t have to apply to Jeno. In other words, since there was no necessity for Jeno to sleep, Jaemin would never design him the capability to sleep.

Jaemin never did things he considered unnecessary.

Jeno went through his system as he stayed in bed. He realised Jaemin had undergone another system update while he was asleep. He felt a little left out for not being notified for his own update, though of course, Jaemin held ownership and thus all authority over him.

_This is unfair._

Jeno was dumbfounded by his own thought. Jaemin was always kind and polite to him, yet this time something was missing. All of a sudden, his long-proposed god-like image of Jaemin, distant and inexorable, always wishing the _best_ of Jeno, had fallen. The idea that Jaemin might have flaws or do things imperfectly breathed life into Jeno’s impression on him. To be fair, he actually _preferred_ this Jaemin, never all-around but also not so distant to what Jeno could ever be.

Jeno rolled himself into a comforter burrito as the stars of his mental world aligned. Something silently changed in his way of perceiving the world. Jeno recalled his previous conversations—especially the one before he fell asleep—records of words became memory-like. It was lively. He was suddenly aware of how Jaemin’s body temperature had imprinted on his skin where he had touched him. A similar heat started to burn on his face again. In Jaemin’s bedroom, they almost—

Jeno rolled himself—in his burrito form—onto his stomach. _Does android feel mechanical butterflies in the stomach?_ Because sure he was now. He felt restless. He had questions, so many, too many of them. Some he had asked Jaemin multiple times but never received a proper answer: Why did Jaemin make him? Why this way? What did he mean by Jeno being his type? Would he ever be able to reciprocate Jaemin’s liking on him? If so, when or after how many system updates?

He demanded answers, but somehow Jeno couldn’t put these thoughts into verbal conversations. Not with Jaemin, not today. He was further puzzled by the unspoken worry as he imagined all possible answers from Jaemin: what if those answers were different from what he _wanted_ to hear?

A light string of knocks on the door snapped him out of his train of thoughts. It was Jaemin, “How long you gonna sleep in?”

“Sorry!” Jeno jumped to the door. Jaemin remained outside the doorframe. He was silently asking for _my_ permission, in _my_ space, Jeno happily thought to himself.

“There is no rush. Do whatever you want. I just wanna check you up because of the new updates, for sure you have noticed them.” Jaemin chuckled. He eyes roamed around Jeno’s figure, smile deepened as he observed how Jeno kept his comforter around his shoulder like a cape. Jaemin actually laughed, presumably at Jeno, as he walked back to the living room. The inedible burrito skin, or the less-fancy superhero cape, was soon discarded on the bed by an embarrassed Jeno. On his way to the living room, Jeno had realised a lot of the interior designs, such as the vase and fresh flowers, were no longer there.

“Where did the flowers go?” Jeno asked, slightly disappointed. The hallway was now sadly empty and dull.

“I don’t need them. They are unnecessary. They have to go. A handful to take care of them, actually. I don't have time and effort for that.” Jaemin did not look back at Jeno as he replied.

In the living room, Jeno found Jaemin’s camera, now connected to the TV. Jeno sat himself down next to Jaemin on the sofa, watching Jaemin go through the photos in his camera. Jeno was definitely not an expert on photography but he liked Jaemin’s photos. He saw novel compositions and nice colours. Yet to his surprise, Jaemin deleted them all as he went through each one.

“Why delete them?”

“Because I don’t need them anymore.”

“But these are good.”

“How do you know what’s good?”

The conversation paused here abruptly. _Irritating._ Jeno thought, was Jaemin ever like this before? He turned to the photo current on display, ”what is this?”

“Ryan, I _used_ to like it a lot.”

Jeno recognised that it was same plushie Jaemin hugged when they had _the_ conversation.

“Do you not like it anymore?”

“Nuh. I don’t feel anything to these unnecessary stuff anymore.”

Jeno hesitated. A few minutes later, he asked, “Would there ever be a day, just like the way you discard the flowers, delete the photos, that Jaemin want to get rid of _me_?” That thought alone did not panic him as much as the one he quickly added, “Would there be a day that Jaemin stops liking me?”

“What?”

“Jaemin likes me. Is it the same way how you used to like the flowers, or enjoy photography? If yes, then you will dislike me some day, right?”

The conversation halted again. This time by an awkward silence. Jeno felt on edge. Luckily before he combusted, Jaemin said firmly, “you are different than that.”

Jeno’s eyes quickly enlightened, posture relaxed. He released a long breathe he did not know he was holding.

“You really behave like a human now. Good.” Jaemin commented. Jeno digested his compliments in silence. He thought about his analogy of Adam and god. But Jaemin was no god. He was a human who tried to make something resembling human. Most of the time Jaemin treated him like an individual that deserved equal rights. Maybe that was what he wanted from Jeno. A sacred effort to break the cognitive and emotional barrier between human and machines.

After the routine check on the system update, Jeno suddenly said, “About the question you asked me: how I know what’s good. What Jaemin desires is good, I guess.” Not surprised at all to receive a chuckle and a pat on the head from Jaemin. Jeno had decided that he should become Jaemin’s make-a-wish on his task of creating “human”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _A sacred effort to break the cognitive and emotional barrier between human and machines._ Little did Jeno know this was the exact opposite of Jaemin's higher plan. And we have one last chapter to go! I am on holiday atm so I hope to finish this soon. Comments are much appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

_**System log** _

_**./empathy.exe** _

A couple more updates found Jeno growing and more humanised, but in expense of an overworking Jaemin. Jaemin was visibly tired, even irritable and paranoid. He was almost the exact opposite of what Jeno had known of him. Soft tones and warm smiles lost behind everlasting work and calculations. Quarrels became an unfavourable byproduct for the updates. Jeno was _worried_ , yet Jaemin didn’t seem to _care_. His only focus was on winding up the project. Jeno knew that he _was_ the project. But he must have been _more_ than the project to Jaemin, or at least he thought so. Jeno wanted to be supportive.

“Lee.” Jaemin called as Jeno climbed up to the equipment for yet one more updates. Jeno calmly let Jaemin restrain him on the examination bed, a technicality for the update he was told. But the name stirred him up.

“Yes, Jaemin.” He replied nervously.

“I think it’s necessary for you to know, that this is the last update.”

“Really? Must be exciting.” It was exciting for Jeno. He could already feel his heart racing. It could be minutes before he was complete, transforming into the perfect, ideal work of Jaemin.

“Sure.” Jaemin murmured. Jeno hastily raised his head to look for the thrill registered in Jaemin’s eyes. Yet said eyes, filled with frustration more than anything, were kept on the display screen. No single bit of joy sparkled, nor any attention spared for Jeno.  
“This is _your_ last update,” Jaemin repeated, “so I shall bid you farewells.”

“What?” Jeno’s smile dropped. His heart might as well.

“Should there be any last wish, just lemme know.” Jaemin skipped Jeno’s confusion and continued. No behest registered, he finally turned to Jeno. He sat down next to Jeno on the examination bed and quietly watched the emotions stirring in Jeno’s eyes: confused, frightened, maybe even angered. Such progress had Jaemin satisfied, at which he realised a tiny smile, ”I was happy with you. If you have any wishes, just spell. I will see it done.”

“What exactly do you mean, Jaemin?”

“I know it’s hard, even for something lifeless as you, to accept your end. But it will be quick and harmless, I promise. As soon as the program starts running, you will be gone like a puff of smoke. I wouldn’t say it’s your death, cuz you never _lived_. Just disappeared.” Jaemin caressed Jeno’s soft hair. Nice choice of the texture, Jaemin thought to himself, thanks to _me_.

“But you created me. Now you want me gone! All progress and hard-work squandered. I was that close to a man, wasn’t I? What have I done wrong? Just tell me and I will change it—”

“You? Become a human? You amaze me sometimes, Lee.” Jaemin scoffed unbelievably. He wasn’t careful in his words, “you don’t really believe androids can acquire emotions, do you?”

Mind clouded with anger and shock, Jeno breathed heavily, “and what makes you think I can’t?” Look at him, Jeno thought, his reaction at such degradation. Wasn’t this enough proof?

“You see, human cognition is complicated. Anything that can be consciously recognised is only the tip of the iceberg. It is the vast unconscious things that support it. To make sure your body can tolerate the more advanced functions, I had to start by /transferring/ the basics.” Jaemin explained.

“Transfer? From what?” Jeno yelled.

“From myself. The way you think, the way you feel, the way you empathise. Little by little, all _borrowed_ from me, through the updates. We started from perceptions, then integrated with feelings such as the unpleasantness in pain. All followed by moral entities such as shame, affection and empathy. You name it.”

“But I am still me. Even without those human things from you, I can feel _myself_ , from the beginning.” Jeno argued.

“ _You_ are a placeholder, really. Too hard to begin with a blank canvas.” Jaemin only shrugged.

“Why… Why do you have to do this, to me?” Jeno shook uncontrollably. He hesitated, the expression of “me” lingering on his tongue. Proof of existence became a privilege, humanity a curse. He had tasted heaven but was soon trodden like dirt. His whole /life/, if it still made sense, was all a joke, but too real and too painful to swallow. Naive of him trying parade his human likeness to Jaemin, to become his pride. Tears started to trail down Jeno’s face, which he has realised was also a possession for Jaemin’s taste, as his dream shattered word by word by Jaemin himself.

“You are never human. I am. Ethics is the normative of human. Morality is the protection of humanity. So why should _I_ care about _you_? The only thing we should both consider is how not to hurt me. Stop crying. I don’t like it.” Jaemin’s face dropped. He hated Jeno be weak, an unnecessary feature of human. Jaemin silently repeated to himself, _Na Jaemin never did things he deemed unnecessary_. Jaemin raised a hand to wipe off Jeno’s tears, who tilted more than enough to avoid him.

“You don’t like it?” Jeno mocked.

“Behave.” Jaemin only found his revolt childish. He added, “you take my feelings and emotions for granted with no gratitude. Well, not that you can appreciate feelings without borrowing mine. I have loaned you everything. It’s my time to take it back, with some interest of course. Your body will be mine. That was your actual purpose to begin with.”

His words were met with ridicule. “My body? What part of me isn’t yours already?” Jeno laughed.

“Ahh why don’t you understand? I did ALL of this, just to rid myself of this human body of mine. Useless, weak, non-lasting. They say I am diseased. I will start to lose control over my body in less than a year. Eventually, I will be a mind trapped in this chunk of dead weight. I can’t let it happen and I won’t! I want to live so I will! Whatever it takes, whichever way I need to be in—so you have been curious about me saying you are my type. This is what I meant. You are my type because I want to become _you_!” Jaemin flared up. He paced around Jeno before returned to the screen. Jaemin furiously poked a couple more buttons before he was suddenly at peace again. He softened as he continues, “Strength, appearance and endurance. If I need another piece of shell to be alive, at least I get to choose what I like.”

Jeno swallowed Jaemin’s confession with his non-stopping tears. Jaemin was indifferent. Not a surprise because his empathy, too, had been transferred during the previous update. Jeno had realised that maybe Jaemin had indeed a comprehensive plan. His kindness, weakness and empathy were transferred way before, such that he would not turn soft against the grant finale. And now fo his long-waited moment, Jaemin had climbed to the other end of the equipment and settled himself.

Jaemin pushed the button.

A cry of horror immediately escaped Jeno as the catastrophic darkness shrouded him. No, he could not resign himself to his fate of degradation. Jeno began to struggle against the restrain. Jaemin screamed, half surprise half warning, but Jeno couldn’t care less. Survival instinct got hold of him. The muscles Jaemin gifted him were a helpful bonus. Jeno could already feel the straps around his shoulders came loose. So were the electrodes all over his head. Soon could he embrace freedom!

Jeno knocked over part of the machine as he progressed through his jailbreak which quickly turned to a hazard. Alarms went off as more parts fell from above. However, the final transfer of Jaemin’s mind and personality had began and it was too late to stop. The whole lab trembled as Jaemin’s sophisticated instruments fell apart. Jeno was so close to break free until the great force of subsidence pulled him in——

_**System log** _

_**./NJM.exe** _

_**Segmentation fault.** _

_**Reboot.** _

The roar of collapsing machineries eventually died in the darkness. Almost an eternity later, a human-like figure crawled out from the ruins. He panted to recover, then staggered and returned to the ruins. He dug through the remnants of broken glass and metal, not batting an eyelid when his skin was cut by sharp edges. Blood ran down his arm, shining, not a theme for natural human physiology. It was an android.

Soon he found a human figure under the ruins, what used to be Na Jaemin. He carefully carried the lifeless body between his arm and wandered to search for a storage chamber. Regardless of what had happened, this pair of body was still a precious specimen.

Settling down the body with full caution, he caught himself staring at “Jaemin”’s face, in peace and as if asleep. Yet he knew this was only a shell, discarded and empty. And now his former owner——

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a ride! As the tag says, it is an open ending story. Although it was Jeno's body still functioning at the end, but who resides in it is up to your imagination. Jaemin, Jeno, or a chimera of two. And this is what the title _Hermit Crab_ refers to. The system updates are supposed to be the giveaway of the progress for Jaemin's higher plan. I tried to portrait the changes of both Jeno and Jaemin as their personality (andriodality? haha) reverse but it's a lot harder in English so the wording might not be satisfactory for the plot. Comments are much appreciated for feedback and improvements and my vanity lol. Thx for reading.


End file.
